Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a simple and reliable method, but there are few data about its use in pediatric forms of neuromuscular diseases (NMD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional effects and tolerance of gastrostomy feeding in NMD patients.
Methods: Twelve patients with NMD, ranging in age from 1 month to 25.5 years, underwent a gastrostomy placement (PEG, n = 11; surgical gastrostomy, n = 1) between January 1990 and December 2000. Diseases were muscular dystrophies (n = 5), infantile spinal muscular atrophies (n = 3), congenital myopathies (n = 3), and polyradiculoneuritis (n = 1). Height-for-age (Z(H/A)), weight-for-age (Z(W/A)), and weight-for-height (Z(W/H)) z scores were assessed at birth, at the time of gastrostomy placement, after a 6-month and 1-year follow-up, and at the end of follow-up. Complications that occurred during the gastrostomy feeding period were recorded. Comparisons of z scores at the different times were performed with repeated-measures analyses of variance.
Results: Z(W/A) (p < .05) and Z(W/H) (p < .001) improved in the whole group after gastrostomy. For the 10 patients for whom follow-up was more than 1 year, Z(W/A) (p < .03) and Z(W/H) (p < .001) increased from the time of gastrostomy to the end of follow-up. Among 5 patients who had a gastroesophageal reflux diagnosed before gastrostomy placement, 3 had at least 1 episode of pneumonia and 2 died of respiratory distress caused by the worsening of NMD. No other major complication was encountered.
Conclusions: Gastrostomy feeding is well tolerated and results in an improvement of nutritional indices in NMD patients. Special care should be taken in patients with preexisting gastroesophageal reflux.